Promises
by Matatabi-chan
Summary: News about Sasuke's want to move forward to destroy everything comes to Sakura. She tries to hide how the news effects her but Naruto knows. Holding her he makes new promises.


I DO NOT OWN NARUTO

Naruto saw Sakura walking from the hospital with her shoulders hunched a bit and her head down. It had been a month since they had arrived back at the village after the war. Naruto had only been allowed to start moving around slowly and had to stay in his new apartment not far from the hospital. Sakura crossed the street and started up the stairs to his apartment where she let herself in. Sakura gave a sigh as she watched Naruto slowly walking out of his bedroom holding his side with a wince.

"Naruto." She sighed. "Come here." She reached out for him but he shook his head. He could see how worn she was becoming from all the healing she had been doing since the war. "Naruto." She said with a firm tone, stepping closer to him.

"I know you're exhausted, you should relax. I'll heal whether you use your chakra or not." He told her making her give a small glare. Naruto could only grin as he walked closer to her. The last month had been difficult for both of them. The war was still hurting and leaning on them, but one good thing came of all of it. Sakura had spilled her heart out the moment he woke up in the hospital. It took only a few moments of thinking before he had pulled her to him and kissed her. From then on, their feelings only grew stronger.

Sakura wrapped her arm around his middle as he wrapped one of his around her shoulders. "Naruto, you're in pain."

"I'm fine Sakura-chan. I've felt worse, this is nothing." He smiled at her. "Maybe you should head home and get some sleep, that way you won't have to get up and go home later."

"I'm fine. I think I'll just keep you company for the night." She smiled up at him as she poured her chakra into her hand to ease his pain.

Naruto pulled her a bit closer. "You can stay as long as you want." Leaning down her kissed the top of her head making her smile.

"You better be careful of what you wish for. You might just get it." She smirked without looking up at him. "Go sit down, I'll make us something to eat." Naruto watched as she pulled away and began moving about the kitchen before slowly making his way to the living room to sit heavily on the couch. Sakura turned and found him lying across the couch sound asleep and she could not help but smile. A knock at the door snapped her from her daze.

Opening the door, she found Shizune and Kakashi. "Sakura-." Shizune said a little surprised to see her at Naruto's apartment. "I would have thought you'd be at home resting after all the work you've been doing."

"Naruto's still not completely healed so I help him out when I can." She stepped back to let them in. "He just fell asleep. Was there something you needed?" Shizune looked at Naruto sleeping with his hand still resting on his chest as Kakashi gave a soft sigh. "What's wrong?" She asked as she watched her teacher's actions.

"We have some information for Naruto and you as well." Kakashi told her. He took a breath before he began. "Make sure you tell Naruto when he wakes up…. well you might want to wait until he's healed." He looked back to Sakura with his dark grey eye. "We received credible information that Sasuke is gathering many of the missing nin from the war and is going to be planning an attack on Naruto and the village. Sasuke has made it clear he wants Naruto dead no matter what."

Sakura looked back at her boyfriend and teammate. He was going to be even more determined to get their old teammate back from the darkness once he heard about this. This was just another challenge for him. Sakura did not know what to do. Losing Naruto scared her; she realized just how much when he was almost lost to his wounds from the war. To lose him to Sasuke and to have the village, something Naruto treasured more than anything, destroyed would be devastating.

"Sakura." Shizune said softly as she touched her arm. "Are you going to be alright?"

Sakura gave a nod but Kakashi stepped closer. He was the only one to see her break down once they had gotten Naruto stable and into a tent of his own. He knew how things were between the two and knew this was weighing hard on her. "Sakura, things will work out. He won't leave you, that I can guarantee you. Tell him what the information is. Explain it to him and you'll see. He may be slow to conclusions but he does have some smarts."

"I will. Thank you for letting us know. I'll let Naruto know as soon as he wakes up." She said softly before the two nodded and left. Sakura felt tears come to her eyes as she realized this meant Sasuke had taken yet another leap farther into the darkness. Farther away from her and Naruto, down a road neither of them could follow him. She realized for the first time that this was it. There was no chance at all of bringing their friend back to the village, back to the light. She glanced at Naruto still sleeping soundly before quickly making her way into his bedroom and gently pushing the door before she saw the picture that was taken when they were thirteen sitting on the nightstand and she grabbed it looking at the two boys who despised each other but were brothers all the same.

Naruto blinked slowly before realizing the apartment was dark. He furrowed his brows as he sat up slowly, feeling the pain in his side growing. Suddenly he heard something from the other room. Slowly and stiffly, he shuffled towards the cracked door to his bedroom. Peering inside he saw Sakura's back, her head bent, shoulders shaking. She was crying. Naruto felt his chest constrict as he slowly walked in, stopping just behind her.

"Sakura-chan…" He whispered startling her.

Sakura tried to wipe the tears from her face before he saw them. "Naruto…" She paused trying to conceal the fact that she had been crying. "I… I was just… um…" She tried to think of a lie but nothing was coming to mind.

"Sakura, what's wrong? why were you crying?" He searched her green eyes with his loving blue ones.

"She just looked at him before looking down at the team photo still in her hands. "Shizune and Kakashi stopped by after you fell asleep. They said they received credible information about Sasuke." She paused as she tried to force back her tears to continue. Slowly she looked back up at him with tear-filled eyes.

"What about him?" She could hear the pain in his voice.

"They said he has been collecting missing nin from the war and is planning to destroy you and the village. He's…. Naruto, he's…. we can't…." Naruto reached out pulling her to him as the tears began to flow again. The two sank to the floor, Naruto ignored the pain in his sides as he held her tight. He could feel her entire body tremor with each sob.

They had both been through a lot and no matter how hard they tried, they would never be able to forget what they had seen and done. He felt it weigh on him and he felt the war and deaths of so many all because of him. He saw the pain everyone felt, he even it. He knew Sasuke was still on the warpath to make the village and him pay for what happened to Itachi. After he and Sakura began dating, his fear became much noticeable when Sasuke was mentioned. He was afraid that when he fulfilled his promise that Sakura would leave him for Sasuke, he was afraid he might fail her again, and he was afraid he would be killed or something would happen to Sakura. She had called him out on it more than a few times Naruto was able to get away with half-truths, but he knew he would not be able to keep it up forever.

"I'll keep my promise. I'll bring him back, no matter what." He said softly.

Sakura jumped and looked at him, fear clear across her face. "No!" Naruto looked , Naruto. Don't risk your life for an old promise that was between children."

"Sakura-chan…" She shook her head as tears still streamed down her face.

"Promise me. Promise me you'll never leave me, even if it means not bringing Sasuke back." He just looked at her as she began sobbing again. "Please, Naruto. Please just promise me." She cried.

Naruto pulled held her tight in his arms, it was the only thing he could do until his voice began to work again. "I promise. I promise I will never leave you. I promise Sakura-chan." He whispered. "Nothing can take me away from you." The two sat on the floor, emotions flooding through them as they felt the worry and fear as well as the love and hope of what is to come.


End file.
